Data centres energy efficiency awards 2014

Six companies have received the 2014 European Code of Conduct for Data Centres Award for their respective investment in innovative energy efficient technologies, which have resulted in major reductions in energy use. The winners are UN Support Base, Online SAS, St. Andrews University, T-Systems International, Zen Internet and TISSAT.

The winning data centres have implemented most of the best practices recommended by the Code of Conduct, including innovative solutions such as: using external ambient air as a free cooling medium, IT virtualisation and consolidation, monitoring and management of energy consumption, highly efficient uninterrupted power supplies, set point adjustments and control changes to address temperature and humidity control, installation of variable frequency drivers on all primary chilled water pumps, and installation of trigeneration[1] and PV systems .

The Code of Conduct for Data Centres was created in response to increasing energy consumption in this sector as there is a need to reduce the related environmental, economic and energy supply security impacts. Participants in this initiative consume on average 15 GWh of electricity per year, with the largest consuming 70 GWh. It is a voluntary initiative managed by the JRC, with the aim to reduce energy consumption through ambitious energy efficiency measures. The aim is to inform and stimulate data centre operators and owners to reduce energy consumption in a cost-effective manner by improving the understanding of energy demand within the data centre, raising awareness, and recommending energy efficient best practice and targets.

In 2013, 48 new data centres joined the EU Code of Conduct as participants, totalling 222 since the start of the programme in 2008. In addition there are 205 “endorsers” in the programme. These are IT professionals who promote the use of the Data Centres Code of Conduct and assist the participants with the implementation.

List of winners

United Nations Support Base for the data centre in Valencia, Spain

ONLINE SAS for the data centre located in Vitry-sur-Seine, France

University of St. Andrews for the data centre Butts Wynd Data Centre in St. Andrews, United Kingdom

T-Systems International GmbH, at corporate level, Germany

Zen Internet for the date centre SP-ROCH DC1 in Rochdale, United Kingdom

TISSAT, S.A. for the data centre Walhalla in Castellón, Spain

[1]Trigeneration is an environmentally sustainable method of generating electricity. The 'tri' in trigeneration refers to 3 simultaneous outputs from the gas-fired engines, low-carbon electricity, hot water to heat buildings and chilled water to cool buildings.

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As the Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre's mission is to provide EU policies with independent, evidence-based scientific and technical support throughout the whole policy cycle. Working in close cooperation with policy Directorates-General, the JRC addresses key societal challenges while stimulating innovation through developing new methods, tools and standards, and sharing its know-how with the Member States, the scientific community and international partners.